In Hai Mingzhu's opinion, the companies that could take on the deal, whose proposal had been delivered in almost a spy-like manner by Jin Xin, must be limited. She even imagined that the forthcoming situation would be like the bidding segment of a TV drama, with several serious examiners sitting in earnest behind a platform, thoughtfully asking some seemingly simplistic, but extremely skill-testing psychological questions, then awarding scores to the bidding companies and selecting the best for recruitment.
This is indeed the style of multinational corporations, she thought.
However, when the elevator door to the forty-fourth floor opened, she felt as though she had entered a farmer's market.
Only, a farmer's market probably didn't have this many people.
Though the meeting room on the forty-fourth floor should have been spacious, the hallways were packed with people. The normally super-cooling central air conditioning seemed to be devoid of coolness here.
In Deep City, approaching the midsummer festival, scorching heat waves were still rampant. If the central air conditioning wasn't cooling, it would maximize the greenhouse effect of the urban islands indoors.
When Hai Mingzhu arrived at Giant Building, she regretted not wearing more for the sake of looking attractive. However, once she arrived on the forty-fourth floor, she was relieved to find that she was much smarter than those dressed in suits and leather shoes.
The hallways were filled with security professionals, many of whom were in formal attire. Some could still manage to wipe their sweat while maintaining an outwardly calm demeanor despite the sweltering floor. Others could no longer stand it and untied their ties or collars, as if they would feel much more comfortable shirtless.
"What's happening?" Jin Xin turned his head to look at Shen Yue, "Are we on the right floor? Are they selling groceries here now?"
Without a reply, Shen Yue maneuvered his way through the crowd to the meeting room first. Checking the time, it was still a few minutes before eight o'clock. There were fewer people in the meeting room. Most had spilled to the hallways and the entrance to the staircase in search of a cool breeze. Very few wanted to stay in this sauna-like meeting room.
Shen Yue wasn't in a hurry to find a seat. He walked underneath the central air conditioning and glanced up for a moment.
"Don't even bother," someone sneered, "Even if you guys were AC technicians, you wouldn't be able to fix this central air conditioning."
Shen Yue didn't look at the man who was sneering. Jin Xin traced the sound and saw a man sitting arrogantly, taking great joy in their predicament. The man's face seemed awkwardly assembled from a miscellany of features; with a conspicuous mole on his right cheek acting like the North Star, drawing his facial features towards it like the Big Dipper. Seeing the Big Dipper in the sky is quite a pleasing sight, but seeing it scattered on a human face is somewhat unpleasant.
"I thought I recognized you. It's the dog-faced president of the deceitful, untrustworthy Security," Jin Xin remarked, a sarcastic grin on his face.
The man who Jin Xin called 'dog-faced' abruptly stood up, "My surname is Xun, can't you have some basic decency?"
Jin Xin shrugged, "I can't help it. I'm a coarse man. I can't read much. I always feel your surname should be read as 'dog.' Am I wrong, 'Dog President'? If so, please correct me." Having said that, he rubbed his fists together, looking entirely unapologetic.
President Xun knew that Jin Xin was provoking him but he didn't dare to strike, muttering coldly, "Manager Song, go and check on the progress. If this air conditioning isn't going to be fixed, are they trying to roast us alive?"
The middle-aged man who Hai Mingzhu had seen in the elevator confirmed and rushed out. When she noticed Shen Yue looking through a window, Hai Mingzhu couldn't help but approach him, "Advisor Shen?"
Without turning, Shen Yue responded as he watched the silhouette of a young woman being reflected in the window, "What is it?"
"What's going on with them? It seems like there is bad blood between President Jin and...no, I mean President Xun," Hai Mingzhu attempted to initiate a conversation.
"Indeed, there is some quarrel between them," Shen Yue finally turned to look at her, looking up at the central air conditioning, "It started when Xun Jiasheng, the manager of Anxin Security, took a case related to a divorce between a couple."
"You mean Anxin Security? Not Deceitful, Untrustworthy Security?" Hai Mingzhu chuckled, "President Jin really is a hoot. Someone calling him by the insulting nickname 'Fallen into Soup given to him by others and he retaliates by labeling them as 'deceitful, untrustworthy.' He refuses to bend an inch. But..." with understanding, she continued, "President Jin might seem jovial, but he's very upright. If he says that the person is deceitful and untrustworthy, there's usually some issue with that person. What was the case?"
As he laughed lightly, Shen Yue said, "The woman was accusing the man of domestic abuse, demanding a divorce and a division of property. Deceitful...no, I mean Anxin Security took the woman's request, who's on the black market business...you know about the black market industry, right?"
"Advisor Shen, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm aware of many things." Hai Mingzhu didn't know if it was the heat or something else, but her delicate face started to turn red again.
As Jin Xin glanced towards them, he made no move to approach.
Shen Yue responded, "Anxin Security was able to get hold of some...evidence against the man, forcing him to be on the brink of bankruptcy. Still, it wasn't enough for them. They forced the man to agree to debts he couldn't pay back, driving him to the point of jumping off a bridge."
Hai Mingzhu looked pained, "Did they have to be that ruthless?"
Shen Yue remained noncommittal, "President Jin and I were on the bridge at the time." With a hint of amusement in his voice, Shen Yue stated, "Even though we didn't know each other back then, we both jumped off the bridge to save the man."
Hai Mingzhu looked at Shen Yue, expressing her admiration. "I knew it; you and President Jin are good people. I... I knew it the moment I laid my eyes on you."
Shen Yue glanced back at Hai Mingzhu, thoughtful.
Noticing that she might have overstepped, Hai Mingzhu quickly laughed it off. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to go bidding with you two burly men. What happened next?"
"After being pulled up, the man cried like a child, saying there was no way he could live anymore," Shen Yue said, a hint of sympathy in his voice.
Full of sympathy, Hai Mingzhu remarked, "Men often have it harder than women. Women can shed tears when they're down, but when men have troubles they usually keep it to themselves, which isn't good either."
"I don't have such issues," Shen Yue, perceiving the implication in Hai Mingzhu's words, casually said, "I suffer from amnesia and have forgotten everything from the past."
With a look of astonishment on her face, Hai Mingzhu said, "How's that possible? I...Advisor Shen, I'm sorry." She tried her best to stray away from this heavy topic, " Did you and President Jin manage to vindicate the man?"
"President Jin found that the woman was also not so innocent," Shen Yue continued calmly, "She was part of a group specializing in elaborate fraud cases. They usually target men with issues and arrange for a sham marriage to ensnare them and later extort them. They refer to this method as 'Slaughtering Pigs.' Jin Xin also learned that President Xun was fully aware that this was a scam, but he nonetheless assisted the woman. Hence, the comments on him being a 'dog' and running a deceitful, untrustworthy security business."
Hai Mingzhu let out a sigh. For a moment, she didn't know what else to say. Noticing that Manager Song returned hurriedly, whispering something into President Xun's ear, she asked softly, "Was Manager Song also involved? It looked like President Jin disliked him immensely."
After a brief moment of silence, Shen Yue said, "Manager Song was likely manipulated into being part of it. Many people do things against their will for a living. Jin Xin despises evil and incidentally detests Manager Song."
"Shouldn't you mediate between them? It won't be good if they start fighting here." Seeing Jin Xin still standing in front of President Xun, looking ready to fight at any moment, Hai Mingzhu was worried.
Laughing, Shen Yue said, "Mediate? President Jin was known for being fearless and formidable in the security industry. President Xun may be detestable but he's not an idiot. He knows better than to carry an immediate loss."
While they continued to discuss the affairs of President Jin in low tones, they didn't realize that even though Jin Xin seemed to be keeping a close eye on President Xun and was geared up for a fight, he was actually observing the image of the two of them reflected in the window.
The noisy and scorching meeting room was a stark contrast to the tranquil and naturally conversing pair reflected on the glass. Like a serene, cool and beautiful landscape amid a dark and chaotic night.